Your Android Device Can Control Your House Lights with LIFX Bulbs

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of Kickstarter is when a truly fascinating concept comes along and blows people away. LIFX has one of those ideas.

LIFX makes LED bulbs that can be controlled from a smart phone. Turn your lights on or off, dim your lights, change the color of your lights, set them on a timer, and even sync the mood of your lighting with your music. Those aren't the only features, but that'll give you a quick view of the capabilities of these bulbs.

The most amazing part? You don't have to rewire your existing home. You can use one of these bulbs in practically any light fixture, and then use your phone to start trying out options. You can set all of your lights to perform an action at once, or you can configure rooms individually.

Of course, these bulbs aren't cheap. Each one costs $70, but LIFX has already found an amazing audience for the devices. The company set up a Kickstarter fundraising campaign for $100,000, and it received $1.3 million in return. Pledging finances toward the campaign allowed donors to essentially purchase the bulbs, and LIFX sold out of its backing tiers.

If you're interested in picking up these amazing bulbs, you can sign up for the waiting list, but you won't be able to be among the first wave of users.

The guys over at Phandroid pointed out that Philips has a lightbulb and app combo on sale now, as well, so there is some competition in this space already. But, since competition generally helps companies continue to up the game in terms of quality, I'm all for it.

If Michael isn't glued to his phone or tablet, then he's probably got his nose in a sci-fi book. He is a professional in the SEO / SEM space, and he is deeply engaged in the way that tech affects the way we communicate. And, you know, he also thinks all these gadgets are pretty cool toys!